Gorey win cup rehearsal

THE FINAL league game of the season saw Gorey host the All-Ireland Club champions, Ashbourne, in what was a dress rehearsal for next weekend’s Towns Cup quarter-final.

This game had a lot at stake also, for both teams, as the winner would automatically qualify for the All-Ireland Cup by finishing in fourth place, but this also depended on Dundalk losing to Monkstown.

On a windy afternoon, Ashbourne started the brighter, with Gorey’s indiscipline costing the hosts on three occasions in those opening minutes. Ashbourne were rightly rewarded and drew first blood with a Dunne penalty.

Further Gorey indiscipline saw Mark Whelan sin-binned and it looked odds-on that Ashboune would take advantage.

But Gorey upped the ante and, after sustained pressure by the forwards, Josh Thomas finally crossed for the opening try which James Nolan converted.

Further Gorey pressure saw another Nolan penalty extend the lead to 10-3 before a sweeping back move reached the line for the referee to award a penalty try after an infringement by the Ashbourne winger.

The second-half saw both teams throw the kitchen sink at each other as Ashbourne attacked at every opportunity. Again Gorey indiscipline was proving costly, and Ashbourne made them pay, with three Dunne penalties to reduce the lead to 17-12.

The difficult conditions, and with one eye on the cup quarter-final, meant both teams struggled in the final quarter to put any coherent passages of play together, and the game ended with a narrow win for the hosts.

Next week is the Towns Cup and if Sunday’s match was anything to go by, it promises to be a great contest as there is not a lot between the sides.

This win elevated Gorey into that all-important fourth place and, after a terrible start to this league campaign, this has been a remarkable achievement to qualify for the All-Ireland Cup.

Gorey had some good performances in the pack with Darragh Bellanova, Mark Whelan and B. Horan the pick. The backs showed well too with Josh Thomas, James Nolan and man of the match Stephen Horan to the fore.

Next week sees Gorey travel to Ashbourne for the postponed Towns Cup match. The date and time will be on the website.

Team: R. Deering, B. O’Connor, D. Bellanova, D. O’Leary, A. Copeland, M. Whelan, B. Horan, J.P. Redmond (capt.), S. Horan, S. Duke, J. Thomas, J. Nolan, E. Walsh, J. Butterworth, N. Copeland, E. Horan, C. Allen, S. Triggs, D. Shannon, G. Bater.